Godly Family
The family was established and blessed by God. The Lord provides us the essential guidelines in the Bible for a blessed godly family. So in this month of family blessing, let us look particularly to Psalms 127 and 128, which focus on the family. These Psalms are rightly placed together. These two Psalms remind us of a right relationship with our Creator, a happy marriage and the blessings of God in the family. God wants to bless our families in this month. Let us study the God-given principles in the scriptures in order to have a glad and godly family!
I. THE BUILDER OF THE GODLY FAMILY
The LORD is the builder of our family. I believe God wants to bless you and your family. But you have to lay the right foundation in order to have a family that is blessed and built by God.
A. Fear God. Psalm 128:1 and 4 say, “Blessed is everyone who fears the LORD.” Twice in this Psalm we are encouraged to fear the Lord. To have a good family, each family member should have a healthy respect and reverence for God. Parents should demonstrate this respect or fear of the Lord in their life and in their words, and they should teach their children to respect God. They should be taught never to take God’s name in vain. They should be taught that God is holy, and just, and that sin has consequences. Dearly beloved, you can never have a blessed home until the fear of the Lord is in that home. To fear the Lord is to shun every form of evil (Pro. 8:13). Do you and your children fear the Lord?
B. Follow the Ways of God – Psalm 128:1 also says, “Blessed is everyone who walks in His ways.” This basically means to live in obedience to the Lord. Children know if their parents love the Lord, serve Him, obey Him and if He is important in their lives. We should read God’s Word as a family, to discover His ways, and then walk in obedience to Him. Family altar is vital to build a godly family. The family that prays together stays together. The family altar will alter many a family.
C. Have Faith in God. This is implied in Psalm 127:1, which says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” The word “vain” is used three times in vv.1-2. Everything is vain unless God is in it. So we must look to the Lord, and trust in Him to bless our families. You must wholly depend upon God, and look unto Him in prayer. This also means that your relationship to God should be a priority in your life, and in your home. Jesus said it this way, “But seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:31). Put God first in your home. That’s what is most important. Everything else should be secondary. If you put God first, He will bless your home, and meet the needs of your family.
II. THE BEAUTY OF THE GODLY FAMILY
The beauty of the family is seen when the members of the family fulfilling their God-given responsibilities. Psalm 127 and 128 brings out the following factors about the responsibilities of husband, wife and children
a. The Husband is the HEAD of the home. The father or husband is the head of the home. He must be a man who fears the Lord and walks in his ways (128:1). He must be an exemplary leader. He must seek godly wisdom to guide the members of the family. He should teach God’s word (Deut. 6:5-9) and train the children in the admonition of the Lord (Eph. 6:4; Gen. 18:19). He must also be a man who eats the labor of his hand (128:2). The husband is supposed to be the provider for the needs of the family. This responsibility includes providing for the spiritual, physical, material and psychological needs of the family members. The husband must be a hard worker to take care of the family needs (I Tim. 5:8). He must love, honor and cherish his wife (Eph. 5:25; I Pet. 3:7). He should cleave to his wife and treat her as the most important person in the world (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:3-6; Eph. 5:31).
b. The Wife is the HEART of the home. The mother or wife is the heart of the home. The head and the heart are vital both to the functioning of the body and the successful operation of a home. The mother sets the atmosphere of the home filling it with joy, music, laughter and liveliness. She is the fruitful vine within her house (128:3). Her primary responsibility is within the house. Her involvement and work outside home should not be at the cost of her household responsibilities. She should build the house (Pro. 14:1) and bring peace, order and beauty to the family (Proverbs 31:10-31). She must love and submit to her husband (Eph. 5:23; I Pet. 3:1; Titus 2:4) and inculcate the children with the knowledge of the Lord and the godly values (I Tim. 1:5; 3:15).
c. The children are the HERITAGE from the Lord. They belong to God before they belong to the parents, since they are gifts from God (127:3). They are like olive shoots (128:4) that grow under the shadow of the olive tree. The parents must provide a good spiritual atmosphere like a tree provides shade. The young people are arrows in the hand of a warrior (127:4), with lots of potential energy. We should be careful in handling them so they will go in the right direction. The children should obey, honor and respect their parents (Eph. 6:1-3; Exo. 20:12; Pro. 13:1; 15:20) so that everything will go well with them and that they may enjoy long life on the earth.
III. THE BLESSINGS OF THE GODLY FAMILY
There are indeed a number of blessings that God promises to those who follow His plan for the home in these two Psalms. Let me share a few with you.
a. Peace
Psalm 127:2 says, “It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows.” Many people work from dawn to dusk today but they do not have a real peace of mind and joy. But when God is in the center of our lives, he gives us peace which passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7). He gives us good and peaceful sleep (Ps. 127:3). We should have a quiet, peaceful sleep, without worry and fear. We should work, but if we trust God to provide for our needs, we will not need to overwork. Instead, we can have peaceful sleep. This peace is also implied in 128:2, “it shall be well with you.” Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Prov. 3:24 says, “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.”
b. Protection
Psalm 127:1 says, “Unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” The inference is that we should not rely upon human protection alone. We should rely also upon the Lord’s protection. We hear of many thefts and robberies today in spite of trained securities and watchmen in place. But the Lord watches over his people. He neither sleeps nor slumbers. He keeps us from all evil and protects us in our going and coming (Psalm 121: 4-8). When we trust in the Lord and fear Him, the Lord will send his angels also to encamp around us to guard us from all dangers (Ps. 34:7). The Lord will shield, shelter and safeguard us when we acknowledge him in our family (Ps. 91:14).
c. Prosperity
Psalm 128:2 says, “you will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours (NIV).” You should enjoy the fruits of your labor and the blessings of God upon your family. Many times someone else eats the fruit of our labor. May be it is a creditor, doctor, lawyer or a cheat. But God will keep us from all unnecessary expenses and bless our finances. He will keep us in good health (3 John 2). He will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many and borrow from none (Deu. 28:12).
d. Prolonged Life
Long life was considered a blessing and a sign of divine favor (Job 42:16, 17; 5:26). So notice what verse 6 says. Perhaps a priest pronounced the conclusion of this Psalm: “Yes, may you see your children’s children.” As Job lived to see his fourth generation (Job 42:16) and Joseph his third generation (Gen. 50:23), the Lord will give us long life as we continue to live in obedience to Him. He has promised to satisfy us with a long life when we love him and obey him with all our heart (Ps. 91:14; 21:4; Pro. 3:2, 16; 4:10; 9:11). GOD BLESS ALL THE FAMILIES RICHLY!
